The Bottom
by LeAnn Evans
Summary: Stephanie Plum decides to make some major changes in her life...what other type of job can give her the adrenaline rush she loves? 8 years can change everything, whoever said a person can't really change?


All the characters you recognize, not mine! I thank Janet Evanovich and my mother for getting me hooked on this series...so much so that after reading all of the official JE Plum series, I found Fanfic to help me through some tough times when I wanted a short vacation from reality. Also, this is a bit of a different timeline, all be explained as much as I can!

**This is my first fanfic, please be kind! I don't know that writing is my forte, but you'll be able to eventually see some details of what I consider my strong suit eventually :)

**Chapter One**

_**Stephanie POV**_

In the past 8 years I cannot tell you the number of times I wanted to quit and thought to myself "What am I doing, I must be crazier than my mother thought"? I can definitely now say that the old adage is true…_what doesn't break you, makes you stronger_. What pray tell brought on this epiphany? This is where the lifetime movie reel would do a flashback mixed with my own journal-type narration, so bare with me folks!

I had my relationship that was steady and comfortable most of the time with the one and only Joe Morelli. He seemed to be dealing ok with my usual Stephanie Plum mishaps...okay, with minimal yelling and Italian gestures at least. I may have had rough days, but I got my skips back in the system. Oh, of course, the opening credits to this Lifetime movie special was supposed to introduce that I'm the one and only Stephanie Plum, a.k.a Bombshell Bounty hunter (a slightly less skilled version of Dog the Bounty Hunter...but a whole lot sexier if I do say so myself).

One cold and snowy Trenton day, what other kind of day does Trenton have in February, I was after an old skip. I don't mean old as in I've taken him in before kind of old-this was old as in he was 80 years old and charge with public indecency! Unbelievable, number one that this was his charge, number two that he skipped bail and number three that this is what I was doing to pay my rent due in two days. Next thing I knew, I'm running down the mall sopping wet and still haven't caught up to an 80 year old man! How is this possible you ask...as the iPhones are snapping my picture and uploading a youtube video of my latest fiasco? Well, it wasn't totally my fault! I did at least learn to run more thorough background checks on the Rangeman computer system prior to picking up any skip now. What the file didn't say, but I found out through Grandma Mazur, is Harold is an avid mall walker. You know, the old folks dressed in wind suits with head bands wearing special walking shoes that walk the length of the mall for exercise? Why I hadn't thought to start doing my exercise at the mall prior to this, I dunno...oh wait, I do, because I would get distracted by Victoria Secrets, Macy's, the salon, the food court….well, you get my point. So I thought this would be an okay place to talk old Harold into going to get re-booked when he wasn't at home this morning...I mean how fast can he really go? And the mall is a closed in place, and usually not too crowded on a Tuesday morning at 9am right? Keep telling yourself that Stephanie!

Slosh, step-run, slosh, step-run….so close! I hate that I can't stun old people, on my luck, I'd stop his pacemaker or something! "Harold! Harold! Slow down!" Finally, he stopped and turned to face my beet-red face. When I caught my breath, I did my re-booking spiel. And wonder of wonders, he agrees to come now! Well, after he finishes his last 2 mall loops. If only he had warn his hearing aids this morning! Wow, I need a doughnut!

So, I got my body receipt as quickly as possible, I was very cold and still dripping wet with half-frozen and very frizzy hair. Of course, it was too much to ask not to get called out on my eventful morning. Eddie, Carl, Big-dog they were all switching money and high-fiving around a computer screen only to look up and shout "Harold" in breathy screams at me. Before I knew everyone was clapping and showing me the youtube videos. Just great, why me...ugggh. Just maybe I can slip out anyways. I wish!

"Hey Steph" Eddie said, "You ok? How'd you get soaking wet?"

"Oh, you know me, one foot doesn't necessarily follow the other while running" I said grimacing.

"Steph blowing up a car...15 thousand dollars, Steph running after an 80 year old man...how much guys? 100 bucks….Steph tripping into the mall fountain while chasing an 80- year old skip that can't hear his name being called…"

"PRICELESS" everyone shouted.

Ugh, I trudged out the door of the TPD and tried twice before my latest POS car started and then I hear Joe screaming through the window almost unintelligibly. Can I pretend I don't see him? Then he yanks my car door open, obviously unsure if I was paying attention to him. I feel my blood being to boil, I do not need this right now...and if I was honest, I didn't need it ever! He continues to barrage me with his complaints of ulcers and the expense of Maalox I cause him. I tune out….I haven't been able to get out of my head after watching a prior youtube video of my last car in flames. As it ended, you get to see Joe stomping over to gesture and yell at me. How many times has this scene happened in the last year we've been on-off in our relationship? Too many to actually count. Then Joe is in my face, "Cupcake, how can you not be so unembarrassed by your job performance? I'm embarrassed every single time I hear your name over the police scanner or when you walk in to the TPD covered in unknown substances?"

This nice talk is so not helping my rage issue here. Why do I stay in this relationship? This is not a comfortable relationship now...nor does it seem healthy as I have reflected on things. I think I'm done.

"What did you say?" Joe shouted.

Oh, did I say that out loud, I've got to stop that! Grrrr. Well, here goes nothing. Very calmly I started, "Joe, I can't do this anymore. You and I, we aren't good for each other, I'm done."

His face fell, "What do you mean Cupcake, I want you to quit your job and just be with me, you don't have to do this, you know that!"

"Joe, we don't want the same things, I don't want to be a Burg housewife, that's not who I am...I didn't think I had ever portrayed myself to be that", how am I saying all this so calmly right now?

"I dunno know what to say" Joe said, "I always thought we would end up together Cupcake".

"Joe, we aren't good for each other, we could try to be friends, but most of all I want you to find someone that can make you happy and be the Burg housewife you want...it's not me and never will be"...wow, things are becoming so much clearer now, it's not that this wasn't hard, it was. This hurt too. Joe and I have known each other a long time, and I'll always love our friendship of watching baseball games and eating Pino's meatball subs, but we were more than detrimental to each other. Joe's Maalox budget and my mental sanity couldn't take this anymore. People shouldn't keep repeating the same patterns...ok, now I'm going all Dr. Phil in my head.

"Cupcake, I'll try to always be here for you, I gotta get back inside. Take care of yourself" Joe said as he turned and walked back inside.

One change down, I think Joe and I will be better friends or nothing at all and be better for both our lives. With no boyfriend and just enough money for rent, I headed home for my hot shower and a peanutbutter and olive sandwhich.

So, one week I was rolling around in the garbage (ok, mall fountains), picking up skips only to barely scrape by and pay my rent….and the next I was without a romantic relationship, without a job, and without any financial prospects. I hit what I thought was the bottom...I couldn't have gotten any lower, right? We'll see. Life knows how to throw some wicked curve balls in my direction. That day was the beginning of events that led to where I'm at now...standing in the trauma bay of the local hospital waiting for two shooting victims to arrive that by ambulance reports were both still hanging on by a thread….adrenaline rush, here we go!

**Chapter Two**

_**Ranger POV**_

I have been standing in this waiting emergency room waiting room for what feels like forever. Seriously, how many times can I given the nurse/secretary my blank face stare expecting further answers. My men are back there. The only answers I got were they were in surgery, the trauma surgeon was still working, no news is good news at this point. I'm usually able to remain more calm during such crisis situations, I used to be in the hospital all the time with Steph. Crap, where had that come from. I haven't thought about that woman in years, things had ended so poorly. Now my two right-hand men, Tank and Lester are in the hands of the doctors Steph hated most. Ok, she hated all hospitals, staff, nursing and physicians. I can't even walk into a hospital without wondering how she's doing now, what career she chose, if she's happy. I hear the door to the waiting room open and the doctor steps out. She calls out for Mr. M and my breath hitches. I know that voice. She pulls her surgical mask down and I'm in shock….how, when, where….is this even possible?

**Chapter Three**

_**Steph POV**_

By the time the ambulances have arrived the other trauma surgeon and I jog to our previously determined gurney. Both are weighed down by massive men dressed in all black. My heart skips a beat and for the first time in years, I feel myself go light-headed. Get a grip Plum, I yell in my head! I know these men, it's been years, but they were once like brothers to me. I get my head in the game and concentrate on fully assessing my trauma patient. By this time we've rolled into the large trauma bay and the nurse aids are hooking up the IV, pulse oximeter, cardiac and respiratory leads. I start yelling out my assessment and kick things into high gear. "Good respirations, but labored. What's the pulse ox?" I take my stethoscope out and listen to his lung fields after his shirt is cut away. "Chest xray stat, the right lung is collapsing, sats are dropping, I suspect multiple rib fractures, normal heart sounds, no murmur". I look at the team and am ready to crack head, " where's the IV bag people, I need fluids started ASAP, you know this team!" Continuing in my trauma assessment we find the entrance wound to the bullet, make that bullets x 3. "Two entry wounds, right abdomen, one left shoulder entry wound, maintain the pressure and open the fluids wide, his BP is still low". The xray technician rolls in and I command the team to roll the patient to his left and assess for exit wounds, "One midback exit wound, one right flank exit wound". We gently roll him back...all five of us it took to do that roll and allow the xrays to be taken...and I yell out "Need full abdominal xray too Mannie, not enough exit wounds found" and the xray technition finishes the shots I need. I quickly finish the secondary trauma assessment and have the surgery resident tell me what he sees, "No broken extremities Ma'am". Wow, really, I think sarcastically. "Good job, lets grab a look at the xrays….Roll him to the trauma OR guys, we've got a bullet to contain". We search the films quickly finding a bullet lodged in his right lower abdominal quadrant. This could be a messy surgery.

I hear the overhead speaker alarm, "Code blue, Code blue" and run to the other trauma bay to help with the code. "One, two, three, four, five" I count out load as I practially lay half-over the other man in black to do strong enough compressions. "1mg Epi now please" I hear my collegue say. "All clear" another nurse says and I jump back to allow the cardiac shock before conitnuing my compressions. I didn't even feel the time go by, finally we heard the cardiac monitor begin to slowly beep….beep…..beep. We all smile and watch the monitor to reassure ourselves. My surgical resident seems to immediately find me, "The OR is ready Dr. P", and I'm onto the next adrenaline filled situation.


End file.
